The problem of combating fire in both commercial and residential buildings has a long history and continuing efforts are being made to not only detect fire at an early stage, but to provide means with which fires can be extinguished or at least controlled pending the arrival of proper fire-fighting equipment. Commercial buildings rely principally upon sprinkler systems installed in the ceilings and certain residential buildings may be required to have sprinkler systems in their hallways or general public areas. Portable fire extinguishers are available for fighting all three classes of fires, and are generally provided in multi-family occupied buildings. Also, in some buildings there are fire standpipes in hallways or stairwells containing a conventional fire hose and appropriate water controls. Most of the portable fire fighting equipment used in commercial buildings and multiple occupancy buildings is of the conventional chemical type fire extinguisher of 21/2 gallon capacity. These are heavy pieces of equipment to use and are almost impossible for use by children, the elderly, and persons with physical disabilities. Small portable fire extinguishers are available for positioning in occupied spaces, but they generally are of limited capacity and, in many instances, because of lack of requirement for periodic inspection, are allowed to deteriorate or become essentially useless due to loss of pressure or decomposition of the contents.
The problem of fires is particularly acute in the United States. It has been reported that in New York City alone there are more building fires each year than in all of France and Germany. Statisitics indicate that on an annual basis, fires kill over 12,000 people of which over 2,000 are children, and each day sufficient fires cause damage in excess of $20,000. Most people do not appreciate how quickly even a small fire can erupt into an inferno. A small fire can accelerate to a flash point, which is a situation where free supply of oxygen allows the flames to spread with explosive force. Even when fires do not go beyond a smoldering stage they can be just as quickly fatal as an actual fire. An increase or production of as little as one percent of carbon monoxide, which is a by-product of all combustion, can cause unconsciousness in seconds and death within three minutes. Most people never have and probably never will be caught in even a minor fire. Since such is not a daily experience, most people are totally unprepared when confronted by a fire and as a result, take actions which instead of combating the fire tend to assist the fire in its development. For example, people will attempt to carry the burning objects, for example, a pillow, sofa cushion, or burning wastebasket, from the burning area in which case they generally end up by igniting other materials along the way or burning themselves. They may rush out into the hall to get the chemical fire extinguisher which most probably will allow the influx of a fresh volume of air, which will cause the fire to accelerate in its development. In other instances, they will attempt to throw the burning object through a window which results in an influx of air again causing the fire to expand even more rapidly. As a result of such reactions to fire, thousands of apparently otherwise quite sensible people die in fires every year. Recently, a team of psychologists at Surrey University in England decided to find out why, and particularly with respect to fires in family-occupied areas. It was found to be a common occurrence that when someone discovers a small fire in his living area such as a wastepaper basket or a mattress, sofa cushion, or trashbasket, that he would rush off for a bucket of water or a pan of water and throw it on the fire and then run back and get another bucket of water, and continue to take such actions, probably leaving the door opened to facilitate movement, which adds to the fire and as a result is generally unable to extinguish the fire. It is apparent that when discovering a fire most people would attempt to put it out. However, means presently available for such are considered inadequate either because of the inability of the person to utilize the presently available portable fire extinguishing equipment or because of lack of other means for combating the fire.